College Applications and Financial Aid

Fall of Junior Year Take the PSAT in October Research colleges on Naviance, collegeboard.com, princetonreview.com Keep your resume on Naviance updated with extra-curricular activities (clubs, sports, employment, volunteer activities, honors, awards, etc.)

Fall of Junior Year Keep your grades up, improvement counts! Maintain a good rapport with your junior year teachers, most likely these will be the teachers who will write letters of recommendation for you. Sign up for the SAT question of the day at CollegeBoard.com and practice!

Winter of Junior Year Study Hard! Remember how important Junior grades are for your GPA and college apps! Read over break! Continue with extra-curricular activities Plan a challenging Senior Year curriculum

SAT/ACT Testing Considering applying to a college Early Action or Early Decision? Take SATs twice in Junior Year February: register for SAT if you would like to take it in March March: register for the SAT if you would like to take it at WHS in May April: register for the June SAT – a good time to take SAT Subject tests Prepare for the SAT or ACT!

Spring of Junior Year Attend College Fairs Write letter of intent to Military Academy if interested Refine your college list Study for finals!

Summer between Junior and Senior Year Arrange college tours for the summer Athletes: register with NCAA Clearinghouse after July 15th Keep extracurricular activity and community service efforts going

Fall of Senior Year Your college list should be narrowed to about 5 or 6 schools with a good spread View on-line college apps for those schools Request letters of recommendation if your colleges want them Take SAT/ACT as needed (PREP!)

Fall of Senior Year Don’t procrastinate with your apps! The earlier the better Complete all college apps by December 1st Once you have completed apps, request that your transcript be sent to the college by your HS counselor Send Thank you notes to anyone who helped you

Fall of Senior Year Don’t procrastinate with your apps! The earlier the better Complete all college apps by December 1st Once you have completed apps, request that your transcript be sent to the college by your HS counselor Send Thank you notes to anyone who helped you

Winter of Senior Year January 1st – first day to apply for financial aid using the FAFSA February 14th – finish FAFSA – your gift to yourself! Mid February: Mid-year grades will be sent – keep your grades up!

When Should I Apply to College? If applying to a four-year college:      Strong students apply early in the Fall If applying to a two-year college or technical school:     Apply for Fall admission during the prior Spring semester

What Really Matters to Colleges? There is no “magic formula” There are no “rules” Small Schools pay greater attention to the person Large Schools often use a mathematical formula based on GPA, ACT/SAT and favor in-state applicants

What Really Matters to Colleges? Courses Taken – colleges want to see academic discipline and a challenge Grades Received Rank SAT/ACT Scores Essays Recommendations Extracurricular Activities truly commit to 2-3 activities Interviews

Most Significant Factor in Admission: Grades Earned in ACADEMIC Courses!  Transcript is the BIGGEST DRIVER in the whole process!! *Admissions counselors report that  colleges recalculate GPA, using  only academic courses

College Application Process in 14 Easy STeps Senior Year Reference College Application Process in 14 Easy STeps 1.  Narrow College choices to 5-8 schools. 2.  Make a list of choices. 3.  Visit School Counselor and list schools to which you are applying.  (Be sure to tell your School Counselor if you are using the Commonapp for any colleges). 4.  Check College application Deadlines. 5.  Complete Teacher Letter of Recommendation request forms and ask two teachers for letters. 6.  Go to colleges’ websites, click on Admissions/Undergraduate Admissions and complete applications on-line. 7.  Request official scores from Collegeboard and/or ACTstudent. 8.  When you have finished applications, tell your School Counselor to send your transcript and letters of rec. 9.  Go to FAFSA.ed.gov and create a PIN number. 10.   Go back after Jan 1 and complete your FAFSA. 11.  Wait for notification from colleges. 12.  If colleges send emails or letters saying items are missing, call the admissions offices to double check. 13.  Receive admission or denial letters from colleges. 14.  Send in “Intent to Register” notification to colleges by May 1 along with housing deposit.    

SAT/ACT Testing Schedule 1   SAT/ACT Testing Schedule 1.  October Junior Year - take PSAT (about $13, scores not reported to colleges). 2.  Fall or Winter Junior Year - Take SAT/ACT practice test (about ($10, scores not reported to colleges). 3.  Winter of Junior Year - begin SAT and/or ACT prep. 4.  March and/or May of Junior Year - take SAT*. 5.  April of Junior Year - take ACT. 6.  May or June of Junior Year/Fall and/or Winter of Senior Year- take SAT II’s if needed (look at the colleges’ admissions websites to see if they require SAT II’s). 7.  Fall and/or Winter of Senior Year - re-take SAT and/or ACT to improve scores if necessary**. *when registering for SAT and/or ACT be sure to take advantage of the FREE score reports and send scores to colleges to which you might apply. **if re-taking the SAT/ACT, be sure to PREP!

Two-Year College or Tech School Application Process Senior Year Reference Two-Year College or Tech School Application Process Applications are completed after the first of the year for fall admission. 1.  Visit college/Tech school website and go to “Admissions”. 2.  Download paper application (or complete on-line application and then notify your school counselor). 3.  Complete paper application. 4.  Submit paper application along with application fee to your school counselor.  Your counselor will mail your application, fee and transcript to the College/Technical School. 5.  Schedule the Accuplacer (placement exam) a.  SCC: take the Accuplacer at WHS, meet with a college advisor to choose courses b.  All other community colleges and Tech Schools: you will receive communication from the school indicating when you can take the accuplacer/placement test and meet with an advisor to choose courses. c.  Explore specialty programs (Nursing, Nuclear Medicine, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Sustainable Energy Technology, etc) to determine admission requirements*   * You may need SAT or ACT scores

The Application and Fee List Basic Information about yourself Your school and Family information GPA and standardized test scores Extracurricular and awards earned Application Fee $30-$60 and many schools offer fee waivers for applying online

Transcripts Request official high school transcripts (some college require them to be mailed directly)

SAT or ACT Score Report Request that your score report be sent directly to your prospective colleges. Schedule your test with enough time to receive your scores and have them sent to your colleges of choice.

Letters of Recommendation Most colleges require two or three letters of recommendation Pick those who know you well and can speak to your strengths Make your requests about two months prior to application deadline Personal Statement Tell what makes you unique and what you can bring to a given campus

Financial Aid Applying for admission for admission and applying for financial aid are two separate processes Complete and submit your FAFSA as soon after January 1 as possible Research student loan options thoroughly before borrowing